Water-closet



{No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. WHITEFORD.

WATER LOSET. N0. 318,842. Patented May 26, 188.5.

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(No Model.) Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2..

D. WHITEFORD.

WATER, GLOSET.

Patented May 26, 1885l Ens, nmwvmhogupm. wasnmgtm. 0. c

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

D. WHT'EFORD WATER GLOSBT. No, 318,842'l Patented' May 26, 1885.

n Perini mmh-mamma www a c Unirse Stearns ilarian'r @miren DAVID TNIrIl'lEFOI-lD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-CLOSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,842, dated ltay 26, 1885.

(No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DnvID XVHITEFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ghicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Closets; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention relates to the class of water closets in which the iiushing of the bowl is effected automatically' from the seat on removing the pressure thereon. It is my object to provide a valve mechanism which shall be operated by pressure upon theseat to admit from the supply-pipe during the continuance of such pressure water into the tank or reservoir commonly connected with a water-closet to fill the tank, which valve mechanism shall at the same time shut oli' objectionable direct communication of the closet with the water-supply, and also communication thereof with the tank during the continuance oi' such pressure, the removal of which pressure will cause to bc shut oit the water-supply to the tank and permit the water therein to enter and flush the closet-bowl, thus emptying the reservoir, which remains empty until pressure is again exerted upon the scat, thereby avoiding apermanent water-supply in the tank and pipes leading therefrom, which would be liable to freeze within the latter during cold weather.

My invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming my improvement, all as hereinafter particularly set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a water-closet containing my improvements and having a portion broken away to display details; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. I, and viewed in the direction of the arrowheads; Fig. 3, ahorizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction ofthe arrow-heads, and representing a plan view of the bowl with a portion of the means for flushing it; Fig. Il, a vertical section of the valve mechanism operated from the closetseat to admit water from the water-supply pipe to the tank and close communication with the bowl, and to open communication between the bowl and tank and close that between the tank and water-supply pipe; and Fig. 5 av sectional view representing a modification of the valve mechanism.

A is the box, provided with the usual hinged cover, t, and hinged seat t, and containing a soil receptacle or bowl, B.

Accurate description of the construction of the bowl B is omitted from the present application, as I intend that it shall form the sub- `ject of a future application for a patent.

C, Fig. 4, is a waterlsupply pipe leading to a valve-chamber, p, containing a ball-valve, o, having its seat in t-he upper end of the chamber p, which communicates with a valvechamloer, a, containing the plunger m, to which the stem o of the valve o is secured, and which carries a valve, Z, having a vertical opening, Z', through it on its under side, and is supported by a helical spring, k, conned between stops in the form of a knob, It, upon the upper extremity of a vertical rod, Zr', secured at its lower extremity to the plunger m and the perforated cup la, forming the cover of the valve-chamber fn and through which the rod la passes.

D, Figs. 4 and 5, is a pipe leading from one side of the valve-chamber n to the tank E, properly located; and F is a pipe, preferably ofthe same diameter as the pipe D, which communicates toward one extremity with the lower side of the valve-'chamber a. The rod k and surrounding spring L: and valve mechanism below these parts are directly underneath the forward portion of the hinged seat t', and the pipe F leads obliquely around the bowl B, and communicates at the rear of the latter with the iushing-rim z', of common construct-ion, and with a curved passage, Iz, formed in thc rear side of the bowl and communicating with thetrap s. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The combined diameters ofthe passage h and flushing-rim t are preferably equal to the diameter of the pipe F, to permit from thc'latter an ample supply oi' water to both. Pressure upon the seat t in using the closet will force the plun- 9 ger m downward, and with it the valve Z upon its seat, closing communication of the valvechamber a with the bowl B, and will remove the valve o from its seat, permitting water from the suppl y-pipe C to enter the reservoir the tension ofthe spring 7:.

E by way of the valve-chambers p and n and pipe D, permitting it,if the pressure is exerted for a sufficiently long time, and if the tank is provided with a vent, to become completely filled, or, if the tank is air-tight, to such an extent as the compression of air within it will allow. On the removal of the pressure upon the seat t the recoil of the spring k will raise the valve Z from its seat and the valve o to its seat, against which the last-named valve will be firmly packed by the pressure of water from underneath, thus completely closing communication between the closet and water-supply, and the contents of the tank E will empty into the bowl, flushing the latter, and by the force of its pressure carrying the soil over the trap s into the waste-pipe r, and, owing to the construction of the trap, sufficient water will remain within the bowl to afford an effective water-seal for the usual purpose of preventing the rise into the apartment of sewer-gas and foul air.

The opening` provided through the valve Z serves as an outlet for any water. which may force its way above the plunger `m, and which might, if allowed to remain, freeze and interfere with the operation of the device, and it provides an outlet for air, which, if confined, would prevent proper operation of the valves.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the tank E only contains water when it is required to iiush the bowl, and is at other times empty, whereby, as hereinbefore stated, freezing of the pipes leading therefrom and consequent bursting are avoided, and that communication between the closet and supply-pipe C, from which the water it contains may commingle with that which is drawn to be used for other purposes, is effectually prevented.

The modification shown in Fig. 5 represents a device, included in my present invention, to be used where the water-supply is other than that produced by pressure from a city main. It shows the valve Z as being operated by pressure upon it to open communication between the bowl and flushing-supply, which communication is normally closed by In this modified form ofthe device the valve o and its chamber, having no function to perform, may be omit-ted.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a water-closet, the combination, with a reservoir, E, and bowl, of avalvc-chamber, n, connected with the reservoir and bowl, a plunger, m, within the valve-chamber carrying a rod, t, projecting upward through the top of the if'alve-chamber, a spring, k, supporting the plunger and confined between suitable stops, a valve, Z, projecting downward from the plunger, a valve-chamber, p communicating with a watersupply and leading into the valve-chamber `n, and a valve, 0, within the valve-chambery) and connected with the plunger m, to be maintained normally against its seat by the spring 7c, which maintains the valve Znormally away from its seat, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

2. In a water-closet, the combination, with a reservoir, E, and bowl, of a valve-chamber, n, connected with the said reservoir and bowl, a plunger, m, within the said valve-chamber carrying a rod, k', projecting upward through the top of the said valve-chamber, a spring, 7c, supporting the said plunger and confined between suitable stops, a valve, Z, provided with' a vertical opening, Z', and projecting downward from the lower side of the said plunger, a valve-chamber, p, communicating with a water-supplyr and leading into the said valve-chambera, and a valve, 0,within the said valve-chambery) and connected with the said plunger m, to be maintained normally against its seat by the spring L, which maintains the valve Z normally away from its scat, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A water-closet comprising, 4in combination, a reservoir, E, valve chamber n, underneath the forward end of the hinged seat t of the said water closet and communicating with the said reservoir, a plunger, m, within the said valvevchamber carrying arod, k', projecting upward through the top of the said chamber to aiiord contactof its upper extremity with the lower surface of the said seat, a spring, 7c, confined between suitable stops to support the said plunger and afford an elastic resistance against pressure exerted upon the said rod, a valve, Z, projecting downward from the lower side of the said plunger and provided with a. channel, Z', extending vertically through it, a valve-chamber, p, comma nieating at .one end with the valve-chamber a, and at its opposite end with the water-sup ply, a valve, o, within the chamber p and connected with the said plunger m, to be maintained normally against its seat by'the pressure of water underneath it and by the spring k, which maintains the valve Z- normally away from its seat, a bowl, B, behind the valve-chamber a, and below the forward end of the seat t', and communicatingfrom its rear side by means of a conduit, F, with the said valvechamber n, and provided with a flushing-rim, t', a trap, s, communicating with the said outlet-opening in the bowl B, and a rear channel, h, leading from the said flushing-rim into the said trap, the diameters of the said channel 7i and ilushing-rim il being substantially equal to the diameter of the conduit F, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

DAVID VHITEFORD.

In presence of- EDwARD Tnonrn, MAso-N Bnoss;

ICO

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